It is no secret that tis' the season for illness... stomach flu, Influenza A, strep throat... you name it, our athletes seem to inevitably pass it around each season.
We are all well-versed on ways to prevent the spread of all the icky germs during this time of year; things such as washing your hands, not sharing water bottles, and disinfecting volleyball gear, can all obviously impact how healthy your team stays in season. What we were surprised to find, however, is just how much of a role catching your nightly zzz's may play in staying healthy during cold and flu season.
Most of us really enjoy our nightly snooze, but could not getting enough of it be what is contributing to us tossing illnesses from family member to family member and teammate to teammate?
According to this article on WebMD, not enough sleep can actually suppress our immune systems, therefore making us far more susceptible to the seasonal illnesses that tend to run rampant during this time of year.
This got us wondering... how much sleep is enough sleep?
According to the National Sleep Foundation, this literally varies from person to person based on age, of course, and even personal preference! For instance, some may function perfectly well on 7 hours of sleep a night, while others need 9-10. Across the board, however, it is agreed that children need significantly more sleep than adults.
In an article on the National Sleep Foundation's website, "How much sleep do we really need?", it states 3-5 year olds need an average of 11-13 hours of sleep, while children up to age 12 require around 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. For your average adult, typically docs advise 8-10 solid hours of sleep a night.
Ever wish you could go back to the days when your mommy made you take a nap? Us too. Apparently Mommy Dearest was on to something. Catch enough Zzz's this cold and flu season and you just might manage to skip out on the yuck altogether!
Here's to staying healthy!
- Amarillo Juniors
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